“I thought you could just say a few words and we’d be rid of the connection.” He regretted the hardness of the words he’d spoken the moment he’d said them. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Her voice tight and controlled, she secured her tangle of long hair with a silver ribbon and tied it at the nape of her neck. “The type of brands we have are rare. They are granted to a select few, and thus more difficult to remove. Were you expecting I wouldtake you out to a spring-green meadow sprinkled with morning dew and wildflowers while I danced naked around you? Then,poof, you would be rid of me?”
He did not want to be rid of her. That thought screamed in his thoughts, louder than the roar of a raging forest fire. He took her hands in his, hoping to banish the sadness from her eyes. “I find that I do not want to be rid of you, but I do like the idea of you dancing naked in the woods. It’s a better idea than consulting a group of white-haired elders. Can we try that first?”
He smiled at the image of them in the forest, wanting to undo her hair and watch as it tumbled over her bare skin. He wasn’t so interested in the meadow and flowers, but the naked part sounded pretty good. She was beautiful and quick witted and a woman who would never need spells or potions to hold a man entranced. He wondered if she realized the potency of her appeal. No man breathing was immune to her charms.
Under the watchful gaze of the moon, her cheeks blushed, and her mouth turned up at the corners in a smile. “You are incorrigible.”
His smile broadened. “And you are reading my mind again.”
“It is hard not to. It is shouting.”
Not wanting to let go of their easy banter, he leaned toward her, taking in her unique fragrance, a mixture of sun and surf. When she was near, the world seemed a kinder, gentler place, full of hope and possibilities. “Could we do that? The dancing naked part?”
“Maybe. If I liked you. Which I do not.” The sparkle in her eyes told him she was lying through her perfect mouth.
He fingered one of her curls that had already fallen loose from the ribbon. “Why haven’t you asked me to remove my brand?”
Her lips parted. “I…” Her response was cut short.
He sensed something or someone moving toward them.
Morgan glanced toward the shadows behind him. “We are being watched.”
Rowan shielded her as he turned to face the intruder. “Show yourself.”
Sorsha emerged from around a parked car, moving with the grace of a runway model. Although he’d asked Sorsha for help at The Inferno, this wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind. He wasn’t surprised she’d found him, though. Her network of vamps always knew the whereabouts of everyone in the magical community.
Sorsha gasped, and her velvet black eyes widened in surprise as she dipped her head in reverence. “Milady. I didn’t know you would be here. I see clearly the connection you and Rowan share, and if you heard that we… It was a long time ago, and Rowan means nothing to me. Less than nothing. A mistake. He means less to me than a dung beetle. A diseased rodent.”
Rowan interrupted Sorsha’s litany, holding up his hand in surrender. “I get it. I’m pond scum.”
Morgan winked at him before turning toward Sorsha. The quality of her voice embraced the calm and even timber of a leader. “Sorsha, your relationship with Rowan is in the past and I was pleased to learn that it ended amicably. Cassandra has told me of your efforts to bring stability in your community. You are a strong and capable leader. It is an honor to meet you at last. We appreciate your willingness to help us.”
Sorsha inclined her head. “I thank you for your kind words. We fight the same enemy. Vlad has never hidden his desire to see my people exterminated. We were honored when Cassandra asked for our help.”
Morgan placed her hand on Sorsha’s shoulder. “Whatever we find out, know that the female Wizards will not desert you. We are in this together. You have my word.” Morgan’s voice wasframed in light humor. “If you change your mind about Rowan, know that he is not mine to lose or keep.”
“Are you kidding me?” Rowan stepped between the two women, a dangerous move, but he felt he didn’t have a choice. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’re not at a Bealtaine Fertility Festival. Which means I’m the one who chooses, not you.”
Morgan lifted a perfect eyebrow as her red lips curled into a seductive smile. “Male Wizards are so adorable when they’re talking nonsense, don’t you agree, Sorsha? The choice was mutual.”
Morgan was right, of course, but Rowan considered pointing out that vamps rarely gave their victims a choice, but now was not the time to make that distinction. If Sorsha was to be believed, she was trying to rectify that scenario. Plus, Morgan trusted Sorsha to fight alongside them against Vlad, and Sun Tzu’s statement that “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” was as true today as it was over four thousand years ago.
Rowan let out a breath. “We are here to find out if there is a connection between Vlad and Zacharias’s warehouse. According to AJ, there is a change of security guards at midnight. For added measures, she also hacked into Zacharias’s security system and programmed it to shut down. I don’t know how long it will take to find evidence Zacharias is working with Vlad. If it gets too close to sunrise, we’ll understand, Sorsha, if you must leave.”
“As I told milady, this is not just your fight anymore, Fire Wizard. Since the truce, many of my people have mated with Wizards. Their children are targets of this insidious poison as well. My people and I will take care of the security, and before you ask, we won’t kill them, just render them unconscious. As far as sunrise is concerned, we’ll help you as long as we are able. Happy hunting.”
****
Rowan always cringed when a vamp said, “Happy hunting,” but he didn’t have a choice. He’d have to trust that she was a vamp of her word and her people wouldn’t murder innocents.
Morgan beside him, they used AJ’s keys and the directions she’d given him to unlock the front door and enter the warehouse. Before continuing, he paused. “Morgan, are you sure you still want to do this? There’s no reason for you to try to find the files. You could wait outside with Sorsha.”
“It will go faster if we both search.”
Logic and courage in a beautiful woman were as irresistible as they were annoying. “What if I can’t protect you?”
